Lu Yuan looked at the recovery potion and the map Morris held out, falling silent for a few seconds.
These conditions... were much more lenient than he had imagined.
Potions, maps, information—it was as if the other party was giving unilaterally. All he had to do was step in once at a critical moment, and he could even run if the situation wasn't right.
Either these three were truly shorthanded.
Or...
They were so confident in their own strength that they didn't expect him to be of much help at all, simply wanting an extra layer of insurance.
Regardless of the case, it wasn't a loss for him.
"Agreed."
Morris nodded and gestured to Vincent.
Vincent pulled a folded piece of paper from his robes and handed it over with crisp, efficient movements.
Lu Yuan took it and unfolded it to take a look.
It was a simple map.
Sketched in charcoal, it outlined the general structure of Sandworm Town, including the layout of streets, houses, and the surrounding environment.
The location of the stone field was marked, with the words "hunting point" written beside it.
An area to the north of the town was circled, labeled with "warehouse area, suspected research being conducted here."
There was also one location marked with special emphasis.
The Mayor's house.
Written next to it was: Suspected pollution.
Lu Yuan looked at that line of text, recalling the system's prompt the first time he had met the Mayor.
Knowledge transcendent, eerie power within his body.
Eerie power, suspected pollution... the direction was consistent.
It seemed the pathfinders' intelligence indeed had some merit.
"The sandworm is a very special creature."
Morris's voice came from the side.
"They are born with an extremely strong resistance to pollution. Under normal circumstances, it's almost impossible for them to undergo mutation."
He paused, his tone carrying a hint of certainty.
"But you saw it today."
Lu Yuan thought of the dark brown sandworm from noon and the dense cluster of eyes within its mouthparts.
"To be able to make a sandworm undergo mutation... it means someone here is doing something dirty."
Morris pointed to the two markings on the map.
"The warehouse area, and the Mayor's house."
"Nine times out of ten, it's related to these two places."
Lu Yuan looked at the map, committing the markings to memory.
He hadn't been to the warehouse area, but he had indeed seen the Mayor's abnormality with his own eyes.
"I'll keep an eye out."
"We will contact you if anything happens."
Morris raised his hand and patted Lu Yuan's shoulder with moderate force.
"Don't take the initiative to look for us, and remember not to go out tonight. This desert isn't safe at night, especially after a sandworm was hunted today."
Lu Yuan nodded.
The pathfinders' way of doing things prioritized secrecy.
Morris said no more.
He gestured to Heller and Vincent.
The three figures began to step back, one step, two steps, gradually fading into the shadows of the buildings.
There were no footsteps.
No sound at all.
It was as if they had never appeared.
Lu Yuan stood in place, staring at the patch of shadow.
After a moment, he withdrew his gaze and looked down at the pink recovery potion in his hand.
At the edge of his vision, the greyish-white text quietly emerged:
【Target detected: specially made Sanity recovery potion】
【A precious potion capable of rapidly restoring Sanity, but it places a burden on the mind】
【Warning: Consuming two bottles within a short period of time will result in severe side effects】
There were side effects, but they were within an acceptable range.
His Sanity was indeed too low right now. After last night's recovery, he only had 38 points of Sanity, not even half. If he encountered any unexpected situations, it would be easy for things to go wrong.
He did not hesitate any longer.
He pulled the stopper and tipped his head back to drink it.
As the potion entered his mouth, a cool sensation slid down his throat and into his stomach.
Then it reached his mind.
His thoughts, which had been somewhat chaotic, became clear, like mist being dispersed by a gust of wind.
Most of the heavy, stifling feeling weighing on his heart vanished.
At the edge of his vision, the greyish-white text flickered:
【Sanity: +15... 53/120 (Total)】
Lu Yuan stretched his neck.
He felt much better, and this clarity did not dissipate; there would likely be a continuous recovery effect afterward.
The burning pain in his left hand also seemed to have lessened slightly, though he still couldn't form a proper fist.
It seemed the "accelerated wound healing" part was a bit better than expected.
He put the empty bottle away and turned to walk back toward the stone field.
In the distance, the sandworm was still being dismantled.
The townspeople brandished long-handled knives, cutting away at the massive carcass bit by bit.
Yellowish-brown blood splashed everywhere, shimmering with an eerie luster under the sunlight.
Lu Yuan stood at a distance, watching the scene.
The Mayor's house.
The warehouse area.
The mutation of the sandworm.
He connected these pieces of information in his mind.
This small town was far more complex than it appeared on the surface.
By the time he returned to Herman's house, it was already afternoon.
Herman wasn't in; he was likely still busy over at the stone field.
Martha was tidying up in the kitchen, and Karl was nowhere to be found.
Lu Yuan went back to his room and closed the door.
He took out the map and spread it out on the bed.
Warehouse area.
Mayor's house.
His gaze moved back and forth between the two markings, memorizing their locations.
He had seen the Mayor's abnormality with his own eyes, but he hadn't been to the warehouse area yet.
However, now was not the time for a deep investigation.
Lu Yuan folded the map and put it away, leaning against the wall to rest and recover.
He needed to recover; he needed to wait.
Until his Sanity was a bit higher, until the timing was more appropriate.
The sunlight outside the window gradually slanted westward, casting long shadows on the ground.
After an unknown amount of time, a knock sounded on the door.
"Time to eat."
It was Karl's voice.
Lu Yuan opened his eyes and stood up.
...
Dinner was prepared by Martha.
Stewed sandworm meat paired with desert hardtack, along with a small dish of pickled root vegetables.
The taste wasn't anything to boast about, but in a place like this, being able to eat something hot was already a luxury.
Lu Yuan chewed the meat in his mouth slowly, his gaze inconspicuously scanning the table.
Herman sat opposite him, a cigarette holder in his mouth, his expression somewhat distracted.
He would glance at Lu Yuan from time to time and then quickly look away, as if he had something to say but was hesitating.
Karl sat nearby, head down as he shoveled food into his mouth, occasionally looking up at Lu Yuan, clearly still having much to say from earlier in the day.
The little girl sat beside Martha, very quiet, occasionally poking the meat in her bowl with a spoon.
The atmosphere was somewhat stifling.
Lu Yuan noticed Herman's unusual behavior but did not take the initiative to speak.
The silence lasted for quite a while.
Herman finally took the cigarette holder out of his mouth and looked at Karl.
"Karl, go help your mother clean up the kitchen after you're done eating."
"But I haven't..."
"Go."
Karl pursed his lips and stood up reluctantly, following Martha into the kitchen.
The little girl was taken along as well.
Only Lu Yuan and Herman were left in the dining room.
Herman put the cigarette holder back in his mouth, took a puff, and exhaled a cloud of smoke.
He didn't speak immediately, only watching the sky outside as it gradually grew dark, his fingers lightly tapping on the table.
Lu Yuan waited.
"That sandworm at noon..." Herman finally spoke, his voice a bit raspy, "you saw it too."
Lu Yuan nodded.
"It's not normal." Herman flicked some ash, his tone devoid of much emotion. "The sandworms in the past weren't like that."
He paused, as if weighing his words.
"The Mayor... has been a bit off lately."
Lu Yuan looked up at him.
Herman didn't meet his gaze, only staring at the cigarette holder in his hand.
"You didn't bring me here just because it was on your way, did you?" Lu Yuan said.
Herman's fingers stiffened for a moment.
Rate on N.U.
